Space is expanding faster than the speed of light. It's just that I don't understand how that puts distance between bodies at the same faster than light speed, but it obviously is. The consensus is that it is not moving them but simply putting more space between them. Easy to say but hard to grasp.
The time light travels before it gets to earth is more than a lot of the stars live. What you are seeing is ghosts. If they are still alive you are still seeing something that is not really there (not at that place anymore)
The Big Chill started the day we could see as far as the speed of light will ever allow us to. What this means is that man will never discover more as far as more size to our universe. no way no how, and the opposite is actually true. If your life span was infinite you could be anywhere and see very quickly (relative to an infinite lifespan) the sky get darker and darker until there is no stars anywhere to be seen.
i have not heard the theory that space is expanding at any certain rate, whether at the speed of light or otherwise. where would i read about such a theory?
what i do know is that observable objects in the universe seem to be moving apart from each other faster and faster, which goes hand in hand with the theory of dark energy (not to be confused with dark matter).
another theory known as the "big rip" proposes that if the acceleration remains constant, the four elemental forces that hold things together in the traditional way will lose their ability to do so... hence the big rip of matter, and perhaps space. note: this is not predicted to happen for several billions of years, which is quite possibly when most cosmic objects have pretty much died out anyway.
just to give a reference on that-- similar to the earth being in the last 10th phase of its period of supporting complex life (we're slowly losing our atmosphere), i've read that star formation across the galaxy is in its final stages. so in other words, the supernovae, gas clouds and other cosmic events which seed new stars are lessening in frequency and potency... a vicious cycle so to speak.
as far as man never exploring further... no idea. but i notice that warp bubble engines seem to be making a lot of progress in recent years. i mean, i seriously question whether an interstellar warp ship will be built before civ. collapses, but it's at least a possibility. makes more sense to me than this preposterous idea to colonise mars, in any case.
That could be the most palpably ironic concept in the universe!
...I too saw this story about our surroundings. The structure and distribution of matter around us has never been mapped like this before. Does that look like nervous tissue to you too? Have you ever wondered if we inhabited a gargantuan living being? I am convinced more than ever the universe and every thing in it is alive and intertwined. This makes me feel a little more important and little less like an insignificant speck of grease. Oh... and nice fireworks there Mr"Pinball Porcupine"
cosmosmagazine.com
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